


Martha Of WEFIDS

by ToothPasteCanyon (DannyFenton123)



Series: Transcendence AU in Space [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Transcendence (Gravity Falls), Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-14 21:11:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17515949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DannyFenton123/pseuds/ToothPasteCanyon
Summary: The Dread Pirate Mizar, and the little girl who would grow up to become her.





	1. Chapter 1

                Don’t go to WEFIDS. They wrote that on travel brochures. They said that in the news. It was the first thing anyone would say when the star system was mentioned in conversation.

                “So what did we do?” Jka grumbled. “We went to WEFIDS.”

                Next to her, Ilki rolled her eyes. “It’s not my fault. The calibrations were off.”

                “Yeah, your custom calibrations that you made were off. And now we’re stuck in a freaking  _warzone_  because you think you’re smarter than the flight computer!”

                "Look, it just didn’t look right to me, okay?”

                “And smack bang in the middle of WEFIDS looked right to you?”

                “I-! I’m usually good at math, okay? And the flight computer is a little janky-“

                “How can it be janky? It’s an AI, not that old cabinet your mother keeps trying to push on us.”

                “Okay, Jka, fine! You’re right, and I won’t do it again!” She gripped the controls. “Let’s just focus on getting out of here, okay? We need more interstellar fuel.”

                “Hmph.” Jka crossed her arms. “I bet fuel prices around here are insane.”

                “I’ll pay for it.”

                “Oh, yes. Yes you will.”

                The two of them drifted forwards on what remained in their tanks. Every second they could hear the tap-tap-tap of little pieces of debris against the cockpit. Jka wondered what it was from; a second later, they passed the crumpled husk of a ship, a great hole shredded in its side.

                Her eyes widened, and she turned to Ilki. “Where are you going, exactly?”

                “Just to the battleship.” She pointed ahead at a great red ship. “Don’t worry, we’ll get out of here.”

                “What? I’m not worried.” She linked hands with Ilki. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

                “Oh, of course.”

                The two of them looked at each other, and burst into giggles.

                “No really though, this is creepy as hell.”

                “Yeah, it is.” Ilki made a face. “Sorry I got us into this mess.”

                “It’s fine, let’s just get out of here. Are we close enough to the battleship?”

                “Looks like it.”

                “Cool.” She picked up the communicator. “And hey, next time you mess with the coordinates, can you send us somewhere better than WEFIDS? The middle of a star, for example.”

                Ilki tried to contain her laughter as Jka spoke into the communicator.

                “Hello, this is United Life Spacecraft  _Fantastica_  approaching you from the starboard. Requesting permission to dock.”

                Almost immediately, there was a response. “Registration.”

                Jka pressed a button. “Submitted.”

                They waited as the man on the other end checked their papers. After a shorter time than either of them felt was enough to check registration, the reply came in, short and snappy. “Permission denied.”

                Ilki blinked. “Wait, permission denied?”

                “Requesting reason?”

                “By decree of Excecutive Order 1959, all United Life military vessels are off limits to civilian crafts. Do not attempt to approach, or you will be neutralized.”

                “Wha- what?” Ilki took the communicator. “I’m sorry, but we’re kind of in trouble here. We don’t have enough fuel to leave the system!”

                “For information on evacuation, please contact the relief efforts on your current planet of residence.”

                “But we don’t live here!”

                “Excecutive Order 1959 forbids you to dock here. No exceptions.”

                Then the line cut out, leaving Jka and Ilki almost slackjawed with astonishment on the other end. Jka spoke first.

                “Well… the UL back home was certainly a bit more friendly than those bozos. What jerks, right? Right, Ilki?”

                Ilki put her face in her hands. “Oh, my stars. This is all my fault. What do we do?”

                “It’s fine, Ilki.” Jka took the controls and gently steered them away from the battleship. “We’ll find some other place to get fuel. We don’t need those guys.”

                “Where?”

                “Well…” she spotted a ship, small and tattered, floating out in space. Their engines were off but life signatures steadily pulsed on her screen. “How about these guys? Maybe they have some to spare.”

                Ilki looked up. “Who, them?”

                “Yeah! Wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

                The ship evidently seemed to notice their approach. Their impulse engines fired, quickly steering them so their cockpits were facing each other. A bit of an unusual position, Ilki thought. She frowned.

                “Hey, I don’t know about this.”

                “What’s wrong?”

                “Something seems… off. I don’t know. I’ve got a bad feeling.”

                She rolled her eyes. “Ilki, no offense, but the last time you went out on a feeling-“

                “I know, I know. We ended up here. But seriously, I don’t like this.”

                The interface beeped. “They’re hailing us.”

                “Okay? Are you… gonna answer?”

                “I thought you didn’t want me to answer.”

                “That wasn’t what I said, I’m just saying-“ Ilki stopped herself, and took a deep breath. “Look, we’re going in circles. Just do what you want.”

                “I’m not trying to dismiss you, Ilki. I was just pointing out-“

                “Just do what you want.”

                “Oh, okay then. Thanks for your input.” Jka shot her a glare as she picked up the communicator. “United Life Spacecraft  _Fantastica_. Who are we speaking to?”

                The line crackled. A strange buzz in the background set Jka’s teeth on edge; it sounded like their communicator was on the blink. When the other ship spoke, their voice was distorted, and strangely… childlike.

                “That’s a nice name you got there!  _Fantastica_. Wish I could say the same for the ship!”

                Jka raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

                “Hey, cool your jets. Just joking with you. So,” The line let out a whine as she continued. “What’s the not-so-fantastic  _Fantastica_  doing all the way out here?”

                Ilki made a face. “How old is she?”

                “How old are you?”

                “ _Jka_!”

                “What?”

                “Why would you ask that?”

                “You asked me!”

                “I was thinking out loud!”

                A laugh came from the other ship. “You guys are silly. I’m seven.”

                “Seven?” Jka widened her eyes at Ilki. “You’re… very mature for your age!”

                “I’ve had to be.”

                “Where are your parents?”

                “I dunno. They went to fight in the war and they… never came back.”

                “Oh, you poor thing!”

                “It’s okay. I sell things now. Lots of things. Would you like to take a look?”

                “Oh… are you sure you’re okay?”

                “Yup! I make bank!”

                She suppressed a smile; despite the tragedy, that was a very funny thing to come out of a seven year old’s mouth. “Oh, okay. Well, we’re looking for something very specific. Do you have any interstellar fuel?”

                The answer came immediately. “Yes, we do! Come over and dock, I sell it cheap!”

                “That’s wonderful! I’ll just-”

                “Wait.” Ilki put a hand on her shoulder. “How much is she selling it for?”

                Jka muted the communicator. “Are you seriously gonna make me haggle with a seven year old? What is wrong with you?”

                “Well, I- nevermind. Do what you want.”

                “Are you guys docking or what?” The voice on the end of the line sounded a little strained. “You won’t find a better deal anywhere in WEFIDS!”

                “Don’t worry, we’re coming now.” She steered the ship forwards. “Where should I dock?”

                “Just a little closer,” Said the voice on the end of the line. “We’ll show you.”

                They pulsed forwards, closer to the ship.  It still hadn’t turned around.

                “A little closer…”

                All of a sudden, a warning popped up on their interface. The other ship had activated its engines – full power. They were on a collision course.

                “Uh?” Jka tapped the screen. “What’s going on? Hello?”

                “Hello!” Chirped the voice on the end of the line.

“Your engines activated.” She watched the ship start to pick up speed. She threw the thrusters in reverse, but the warning remained. “You gotta shut them off – we can’t move away in time!”

                The voice began to laugh, and old dread trickled down Jka’s spine. She looked over at Ilki, whose face was rapidly draining of colour. Ilki reached over and snatched the communicator.

                “This is not a joke! We’re both gonna die if you plow into us, so cut the bloody engines! Cut the-“

                With a loud boom, the ship collided with their cockpit, blocking the view entirely. Warnings flashed across the screen – collision detected, glass integrity compromised, hull damage sustained.

                “What the- what the hell?” Ilki shouted. “Why did you do that?”

                “Because you guys just got tricked! Haha! Another one down for the dread pirate Martha!”

                “What? Tricked? What the hell do you-“

                Then the line went dead.

                Jka reached over and linked hands with Ilki. In the smallest voice, she said, “How screwed are we?”

                “Probably a lot?”

                “Yeah, probably. I never knew seven year olds could be pirates.”

                “They make pretty good ones, apparently.”

                Jka nodded. Then: “I love you.”

                “I love you too. I’m sorry I got us into this mess.”

                “No, this is my fault. I should have listened to-“

_BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ_

                “What the-“ Ilki covered her ears at the terrible buzzing, and glanced at the interface. “Glass frature? What’s going on?”

                They looked up, and saw something shining in the middle of the cockpit. A circle, with fractures webbed around it, slowly stretching out.

                Jka suddenly remembered the ship with the hole in its side. “Oh my stars, Ilki. It’s a drill. They’re drilling.”

                “A drill?”

                “It’s a drill.”

                The red lights of so many warnings shone in Ilki’s wide eyes. She stared back, frozen. What were they going to do?

                What could they do?

 

* * *

 

                “Aaaaand- there we go!” Martha watched as the  _Fantastica_ ’s glass shattered, sending a familiar shudder through their ship as the air rushed into space. She looked up at her father with a grin. “How’d I do?”

                He said nothing for a while, looking down at her with an impassive stare. Then he reached down and patted her back, and Martha beamed.

                "We need to strip the ship now." He said, and began to walk away. "Come on."

                And far away in the mindscape, Alcor thought to check in on the latest Mizar. She was happy, he found.

                No reason for him to interfere, then. He’d only mess that up.


	2. Chapter 2

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                A dark, dark place. Her dark, dark place.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                A small window. Small, small. Filled with-

_Shhhhhtk_

                The red of a fucking UL cruiser and

_Shhhhhtk_

                Debris from hers.

_Shhhhhtk_

                Debris from her ship. Her ship, and her parents, and

_Shhhhtk_

                everything she knew and loved, all blown up, flying into space and she didn’t want to look out of the window anymore.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                It was all gone now. Everything that she was. Nothing mattered anymore.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                Nothing mattered but getting back at them.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                Taking them down with her.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                They’re gonna pick up her escape pod.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                They’re gonna see a helpless little girl. They’re gonna open it.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                And they’re gonna be sorry. _They’re gonna be sorry._

                Martha looked down at the knife in her hands. She held it up, saw through blurry, blurry eyes as it gleamed in the starlight.

                It wasn’t quite sharp enough.

                She brought it back down to her lap. She gripped the stone, scarred with use. She ran the knife across it.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                And she kept

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                Going.

 

* * *

 

                Sometimes, Alcor checked in on Mizar. It was always just a little probe, just to know how she was doing, and then he left well enough alone.

                Sometimes, Mizar grabbed Alcor by his ears and forced him to check in on her. The latter was happening now; waves of her grief and rage came and crashed over him as he swam in the Mindscape, sucking him down into her world. He was beside her in the escape pod before he even knew it, just barely incorporeal.

                He watched Mizar straighten and shiver as a cold wind passed over her. Her frown deepened, and she scrubbed tears off of her face before continuing to sharpen her blade.

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                Alcor flinched at the harsh sound. This Mizar’s life, he could see now, had not been an easy one. He didn’t get it. He thought she was happy – she had been when he last checked in on her.

                (Or maybe he had only seen what he wanted to see. Maybe he wanted her to be happy, and ignored what was in front of his eyes. Maybe, maybe.)

                But here she was, her life in tatters, prepared to die at the age of ten. _Ten_ , and he could see such dark, murderous thoughts boiling over in her mind. How had he failed her so spectacularly?

_Shhhhhhhhhhh-tk_

                Alcor shook himself. Not the time, not the place. He had to focus on the now, on the Mizar who desperately needed his help. His mind was already rushing to human disguises and what city he’d raise her in – planet. What planet. Wow, he hadn’t done this in a while.

                Alright, first things first, he’d have to get Mizar away from this horrible place. It might be a bit of a shock for him to appear out of nowhere, but he could do it nice and gently. He could do that; he had a way with kids, you know?

                Alcor materialized in the shadows, reached over and tapped Mizar’s knee. Mizar looked up, and he smiled and waved.

                “Hi. Don’t be afraid, I’m-“

                “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

                And that was how Alcor ended up with a knife in his eye. He blinked – err, winked – in surprise, before turning to confront the girl currently attempting to meld with the wall of the escape pod.

                “Oh, what the hell what the hell what the hell…” Mizar pointed a shaking finger at his eye. “You’re not bleeding! Why aren’t you bleeding?!”

                “Huh? Oh, right, humans are supposed to bleed.” Alcor generated a stream of convincing blood and grinned at Mizar. “Better?”

                She stared at him, eyes wide as saucers.

                “Not better? Okay, is it worse? That looks like you’re saying it’s worse. Yeah, brutally honest. I like humans that tell it like it is. What was I talking about again?” He waved his hand. “Nevermind. Uh, anyway, as I was saying, don’t be afraid. I’m here to help you.”

                “Y-you’re here to help?”

                “Yes. I’m a friend.”

                She looked him up and down. “You’re the weirdest friend I’ve ever seen in my life.”

                “I’m a demon. It comes with the territory.”

                “No kidding.” She slowly extracted herself from the wall. “So… you’re really not going to hurt me?”

                “I promise. Look, I know a lot of people have issues with trusting demons, so you don’t have to trust me just yet. I’ll explain everything when I get you out of here-“

                “Wait. Can’t you make deals with demons?”

                “You can, but I’m not gonna make you-“

                She stepped forwards. “Then I want to make a deal with you!”

                “Huh? Wait-“

                She stabbed a finger at the window. “I want you to destroy that battleship! I want everybody on it to die!”

                Alcor backed up. “Whoa, whoa, slow down there. I’m not just gonna-“

                “You said you were here to help! So, help me kill everyone!” She hunched up her shoulders, and stared up at him with wide eyes. “Please won’t you help me, sir? You’re so big and strong, and I’m just a little girl. I can’t do it all by myself, can I?”

                She spoke with a deliberately childish lilt, one that made the hair rise on Alcor’s neck. He made a face. “No. And what’s with the voice? Stop… stop doing that.”

                “I don’t know what you mean, sir.” She scooted closer. “But I’d so happy if you helped me kill everyone. Aren’t big, strong demons supposed to do that?”

                “No. That’s final. Look, I’m getting you out of here.”

                He extended a hand towards Mizar, who shrank back. “What? No, I don’t want to leave! I’ve got to kill them! _I’ve got to kill them_!”

                “You don’t have to. It’s okay-“

                “No! Get away from me! No! No! No!”

                He touched her shoulder, and they disappeared into thin air. Alcor concentrated. He led them towards a good place, a meadow that blossomed with flowers, with grass that waved gently in the wind. The instant they arrived there, Martha’s terrible screaming started up again.

                “Now,” Alcor started. “If you’ll just listen to me-“

                But Martha was beyond words. She raised her knife and stabbed him in the chest, once, twice, over and over until she slowed and Alcor tried to reach for her. She pushed him away, clenched her fists, ripped up flowers and threw them at him, yelling, screaming, raging… and sobbing. And when her voice grew hoarse, and when the ground beneath her was nothing but dirt and roots, and when it seemed she had exhausted every scrap of energy in her tiny body, she sank down. She put her head in her hands. And she started to cry.

                Little broken noises came from somewhere deep inside of her, and now, it was far too quiet. A solemn expression on his face, Alcor knelt down by her. He touched her shoulder, and she flung herself into his arms, her little hands gripping the fabric of his suit as she sobbed.

                Alcor held her close. A demon of infinite knowledge, of dizzying power, and it was all he could do.

 

* * *

 

                So Alcor found a planet – Jenteri, in the ALAPUNT system. It was known as one of the most beautiful planets in the UL, due to the weather conditions creating an almost constant rainbow in the sky and the stunning, possibly sentient purple fur-mushrooms that carpeted most of its equator. You could lay down literally anywhere there and sleep like a king.

                He also found a name, Tyrone Space. He thought that was a very good name, a very unsuspicious name. He also found a school, and a house, and bada bing bada boom he was totally ready to look after the newest Mizar!

                It lasted half a day. He got a comms call by lunch, from the principal.

                “Your daughter is no longer welcome in our school. She pulled a knife on another student and said she wanted to turn him into a blood fountain.”

                Well. Shit.

                So while Martha was sulking in her room, Alcor went looking for another planet.

                Reb 5 of the HOMEWORLD system was one of the oldest ecumenopolises in the UL, a great city spanning from pole to pole. They were also reported as one of the nicest, with a population that prided itself on preserving its organically generated atmosphere and towering, complex architecture that drew the eye to every building one passed walking down its streets.

                So he took Martha there, and he made up another awesome cover name: Al Planet. And he found a school, and a nice house – jeez, cost of living was insane – and after checking Martha’s pockets for knives, he was ready to start again.

                Two days later, Martha knocked a tree into the nuclear generator and escaped in the chaos. Alcor found her at the spaceport trying to charter a flight to WEFIDS with five gold coins and a fried laser cutter.

                Ohhhh-kay. Third time’s the charm. Hey, with the UL Homeworld literally next door, Tyrone Star was ready to go.

                Except they were on the lookout for space-themed last names and Martha’s face. Dammit. Okay, new system, new strategy. Third times were overrated – fourth time was definitely the one.

                Kepler-22b was the most Earthlike planet in the UL. It was populated by a whole lot of homesick humans, and had some pretty sweet floating cities as well as lots of artificial land. Best of all, it had an artificial atmosphere. They wouldn’t get their panties in a twist about some stupid tree like the snobs back at Reb 5.

                Also, he was done with the weird space names. Tyrone Evergreen was fine, had always been fine, so he was using that. And there was another school, and another house, and this. Was. Fine.

                Time to see if this Mizar thought the same.

 

* * *

 

                “Alright! First day of school.” Alcor stuck a key in the ignition, and the Rainbow Basher roared into life. The new and improved Rainbow Basher, with mag-lev floating technology and lasers stored in the headlights. He drummed his fingers on the wheel. “I love sending Mizars off like this; they usually can’t wait to get out of the car! How’re you feeling, Martha?”

                Martha sat there, arms crossed, staring at the dashboard.

                “Excited? Nervous? Not sure? That’s okay. You don’t have to answer.”

                He watched Martha glance up at him. When she caught his eye, she frowned and looked away. Alcor sighed.

                “Hey, uh, kid, you don’t have to talk, but I’d like you to listen to me, okay? I know it’s been hard on you these past couple months. You’ve gone through a lot, and if there’s anything you need…”

                Martha’s scowl deepened.

                “You can always ask me. I know you don’t believe it, but I’m in your corner. I want to help you. And I know school’s been very challenging too; you can always talk to me about that too.” He laughed a little. “Y-you don’t have to burn it down, or anything. Seriously, I can just switch you. I’m an immortal demon, I of all people can find you a better one. Okay?”

                He looked over at Martha. She was pointedly refusing to look at him, clutching her backpack close to her chest. Alcor slowed.

                “Alright, we’re here.” He waved his arm, and the car door opened. “Have a nice day!”

                Martha shot him a glare. After a moment, she rolled her eyes and stuck her hand in her sock. She picked out something rectangular and tossed it in his direction before hauling herself out and walking towards the building.

                “What’s-?“ Alcor picked it up. “A lighter? Wait, where were you hiding that? I definitely searched your shoes! Martha? Martha!”

                She was already gone. He sat back and stared at the lighter in his hands. Was this a sign of progress?

                He was going to call this progress. With a smile, Alcor pocketed it and drove off.

 

* * *

 

                Martha had this school thing figured out.

                Another building. Another lot of people she didn’t like. Another classroom where she had to sit there and be quiet and pay attention. Why did she have to pay attention, huh? She didn’t know these people. She’d rather sit in her room; at least she didn’t have to listen to anybody there.

                People bumped her in the corridor, and Martha frowned. She bumped them right back, and watched them stumble into each other, glance around and glare at her. She returned their looks. Yeah, do something about it, she thought. See if she cared.

                She reached her classroom, looked upon the rows and rows of desks with a single tablet set on each one. Other students were talking in the corner, so she went and sat almost directly in the centre of their group.

                “Uh, that’s… my… seat.” Someone said. Martha stashed her backpack under the chair, folded her hands in front of the table and stared up at him.

                He raised an eyebrow. “Okayyy then. We’ll… go somewhere else.”

                They moved away. Martha allowed herself a thin smile before she pulled out her sketchbook and a pencil. Alcor had given her these, and she actually kind of liked drawing on them. It was something to do during class, at least.

                “What’s that?”

                Some other student was standing over her, looking at her drawing.

                “It’s a space ship.” She said.

                “A ship?” The student laughed. “Oooh, I see it! I thought it was a turtle.”

                Martha’s scowl deepened. She noticed his hoodie strings dangling over her desk, and suddenly wished she hadn’t given up her lighter. “It’s not a turtle.”

                “It still looks cool!” Turtle kid sat down on the desk next to her. “Man, I wish I could draw.”

                Covering her page with her arm, Martha kept drawing. At some point the class started and the teacher started to speak, but she didn’t care.

                She snuck glances at turtle kid the rest of the lesson. At one point he got up to go to the bathroom, and she silently drew his backpack under her desk and rifled through it. There was a book he looked like he was reading; she took that and slid everything else back into position.

                Martha stashed that book in her own bag and watched him come back. He looked at her, and she smiled. He smiled back, none the wiser.

                She’d show him turtles… as soon as she looked up what turtles were.

 

* * *

 

                Over lunch, Martha sat at the end of a table, doodling in turtle kid’s book. Spaceships on one side, turtles on the other. She even labeled them so he could tell the difference, since he had such difficulty with that last time.

                Out of the corner of her eye, she could see somebody come and sit next to her. Oh, speak of the devil.

                “Hi!” Chirped turtle kid. “I was wondering if you wanted to- wait, is that a book? Is that my book?”

                She let him flip over to the cover.

                “What- this is my book! Why did you- what is wrong with you? Why’d you draw all over it? This is my mom’s copy!”

                He took it and stormed away. Martha watched him go, then sank down and traced lines on the table with her fork. Whatever. She didn’t care.

                The lunchroom filled up, and eventually a group of friends ended up sitting around her. Martha couldn’t help but pick up their conversation.

                “-went to see _Our Darkest Star_ yet? It’s really good.”

                “I have! My boyfriend took me.”

                “Aww, that’s so romantic!”

                “Yeah! And after, he said we were just like Caat and Wendjy… which is weird because they both died in the end, but- Oh! Cjacy, I’m so sorry! Have you seen it yet?”

                “It’s okay, I already went to see it with my dad.”

                “Did you like it?”

                “Uh, I’m not sure. I mean, it was alright.” She rolled her eyes. “I had to keep shushing my dad because he wouldn’t stop talking about how unrealistic it was.”

                “What do you mean?”

                “I mean, it is unrealistic, but it’s not like it was supposed to be this super-realistic pirate hostage situation or anything. I kept telling him it’s like _Twin Souls_ ; you don’t read it to learn how to summon demons, you read it because it’s fun!”

                “Yeah!”

                “You tell him, J!”

                “But he wasn’t having it.” She shook her head. “He started asking me where I read _Twin Souls_ , and it was a whole thing. I just wanted to watch the stupid movie.”

                “Aww. Hey, why don’t we all go out and watch it?”

                “You’ve already seen it.”

                “I can see it again. It’ll be fun! I’ll get my dad to pick us up and-“

                Martha abruptly stood, picked up her tray, and walked to the other end of the room. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the edges.

 

* * *

 

                Alcor was relieved when the end of school rolled around and he did not receive any calls from the principal. He wouldn’t say he was surprised because that sounded patronising… but he was, a little. It was the good sort of surprise.

                Martha slumped in the seat of his car, just as sullenly as she did this morning.

                “Hi!” Alcor smiled. “How was today?”

                She said nothing.

                “Alright. Home we go.”

                They pulled out of the school. Alcor turned the radio on. Hmm, static. Where were the stations?

                Then he realised he was in a hovercar on a planet light years away from the Earth, and he was wondering why they didn’t have radio stations. That made him sad; now he would never again be able to listen to adverts with the odd song he didn’t like at the push of a button.

                Man, the future sucked sometimes.

                They touched down in front of their house. It was, what the website described, an ‘authentic yet modern Earth-style home for those who want to connect with the past and the future.’ It sort of reminded Alcor of the houses back in Gravity Falls; a smaller sort of place, but cosy and with a big white-picketed backyard. Except the roof was flat, and the walls were made of a black nanosteel compound, and the white-picketed fence was actually a shimmering magnetic barrier… close enough. As close as he was ever going to get, anyway.

                Alcor sighed as he turned off the car, heard the radio static cut off. He got out, and walked to the door, fumbling for his keys. Of all the things they decided to change, why did the one thing they kept ‘authentic’ have to be the one he kept losing all the time? Really. It was-

                “Alcor?”

                It was a quiet, firm voice. Alcor stopped dead. Turning around, he saw only Martha standing behind him, looking down at her feet. He blinked.

                “Yes?”

                “What’s wrong with me?”

                She squeezed her backpack to her chest. Alcor’s stomach dropped.

                “What?” He reached for her. “Nothing’s wrong with -“

                She stepped away. He stood up again, and drew the key out of his coat pocket. “Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s… let’s talk about this inside, okay?”

                Alcor unlocked the door, and held it open for her. She made a beeline for the living room, and sat down on one of the couches. He thought about sitting next to her, but instead he sat down on the opposite side. She didn’t talk, and he didn’t know what to say.

                "Sooo,” He started, and cleared his throat. Well, better get straight to the point. “What happened today? Did somebody say something to you?”

                Martha nodded. And then she shrugged.

                “What did they say?”

                “Well, they said, ‘What’s wrong with you?” Martha shifted in her seat. “I stole his book and I drew turtles on it.”

                “Ah. Why’d you do that?”

                “It wasn’t my fault!” She snapped. “He said my art was stupid. A-and he said my dad sucked. And he punched me!”

                “He punched you?”

                “Yeah, but I blocked it. It was nothing. I’m a really good fighter.” Martha started to smile. “I could have taken him out right then and there. Poked out his eyes. Two thumbs, and you press, you know? But I decided to let him off the hook - he needs all the sight he can get if he thinks I was drawing fucking turtles.”

                A mental list of new planets and cover names flashed through Alcor’s mind, and he cringed. “Yeah, I’m really glad you didn’t do that. Sorry that happened, Martha. What that guy did, that’s not okay.”

                Her smile faded, and she looked down.

                “Really, it isn’t. And there’s nothing wrong with you – that’s just some stupid kid trying to rile you up. And hey – it didn’t work! I’m proud of you.”

                “I…” Martha started, and then she shook her head. “I think you’re wrong.”

                He leaned forward. “Why?”

                Martha seemed to draw in on herself. She crossed her arms, and hugged them to her chest. She blinked. She breathed – in, and out. And then she spoke.

                “I’ve been… thinking. About what I used to do when I was with… when I was in WEFIDS.” She paused. “People used to get stuck there. People who lived on the planet wanted to get out, but they never had the fuel. And there were loads of pirates, and people were too scared to buy from them. But they’d try and buy from us. They’d try and buy from me. And I’d do,” - she jumped an octave – “ _This voice, yes sir I do have fuel for sale, I’m just a little kid_ , and they would. And then they’d… die. Because of me.”

                She glanced up, and saw Alcor’s eyes staring into her. She shuffled back a little into her seat.

                “And I was good at it. And I was proud about it. But I’m here now, and everyone around me… they’re kind of like the people I talked to, you know?” Martha grimaced. “And it’s just a little weird, you know?”

                She looked down at the floor. Quietly, she continued. “So I think you’re wrong. I don’t belong here. I’m a bad person.”

                She looked so small, there. Alcor wanted to reach out and wrap her up in a hug – he hugged his arms to his chest instead, and spoke. “You’re not a bad person.”

                “You-“

                “And I say that because I get it. I really do. I’m a demon; I’ve done so many things things I… I’m not proud of, to say the least.” He saw Martha look up at him with eyes so wide, and he sighed. “Believe me when I say I don’t think I’m a good person. But, you know, you can’t just resign yourself to being a bad person. If you don’t think you can ever be better, you’ll never try to be better. Do you get what I’m saying, Martha?”

                She hesitated, and then she shrugged, and then she nodded a little.

                “You’re still so young,” His expression darkened. “You shouldn’t have to be worrying about this; you never should have been put in that kind of position. It wasn’t your idea to go after those ships, you shouldn’t have to feel guilty about that – and I know that’s easier said than done, but it’s true. It wasn’t your fault, you were just doing what your parents told you to, and that’s… well. It was wrong, is all I’m saying.”

                 “But I remember having fun.”

                “That’s not... that’s not the point, kid.”

                Martha looked away. And then she stood up, and she walked out of the living room without another word. Alcor opened his mouth, but he thought better of it, and let her go. He just sat there for a long moment, staring off into space, lost in a thousand lifetimes of memory.

                A little noise made him look up. The door was still open.

                Alcor rose, and walked over to close it.

 

* * *

 

                That night, Alcor tapped on Martha’s door.

                “Hey,” He said, softly. “It’s me. Can I come in?”

                There was silence for a good minute. He straightened, and made to walk away, but door unlocked and creaked open. Martha stood there in her pajamas, a wary frown on her face.

                He smiled. “Hi. You going to bed?”

                Martha shrugged.

                “Well, it’s about bedtime-“

                “Then I’m not going to bed. I’m not tired.”

                Alcor hesitated. “Oh. Okay. Fair enough. Uh, so, about this morning…”

                Her glare hardened.

                “Well, there was something I wanted to say before you… um…” He cleared his throat. “So you’re not going to bed?”

                “No. You can’t make me.”

                “I wasn’t going to.” Alcor shrugged. “It’s just a shame, because what I was gonna tell you would make a really good bedtime story.”

                Martha paused. “What do you mean?”

                “It’d make a good bedtime story, is all.” He smiled, and walked away. “Well, nevermind. Another time, then.”

                “Wait, what is it? Alcor! What’s the story?”

                “Huh?”

                “What’s the story?” She was leaning out of her room. “Tell me! Can you tell me?”

                Alcor grins. “Of course I can, Martha.”

                He walked back to her door. Martha stepped out of her room, and closed it behind her, shooting a look at him as she did so.

                “You’re not being clever, by the way. I’m not going to bed.”

                She stalked down the hall to the living room, and Alcor followed her. Once she was there, she plonked herself down in a chair, crossed her arms, and glared at him as he sat across from her.

                “Well?” She said.

                “Well. Let’s see. How does the story start again?” Alcor tapped his chin. “Oh, right! It starts with a little girl, maybe, uh, eleven or twelve years old-“

                “Is this about me? This is stupid.”

                “No, no, it’s not about ‘you’, but… in a way it is, I suppose.”

                “Oh, really.” Martha rolls her eyes. “I guess not-me’s also from WEFIDS, isn’t she.”

                “She’s from Earth, actually. And she’s got a brother, a twin brother.” Alcor smiled. “And she’s the nicest little girl on the whole planet. Everyone loves her, and she loves everyone. People smile when she comes in the room, you know? She cares about her friends, and her family, and her pet pig named Waddles-“

                “She sounds stupid. Why’s she so perfect? This is a dumb story.”

                “Hey, hey, I’m just getting started, alright? Let me set the scene.” Alcor laughed. “You know, now that you mention it, she isn’t perfect. You know, she doesn’t like school – she’s got better places to be, and she doesn’t like to be quiet and pay attention. She used to copy off her brother, and he used to find that very irritating. He was a bit of nerd.”

                Martha snorted.

                “But one summer, the two of them get sent to their great-uncle’s in Gravity Falls, and everything changes.”

                Alcor talked at length, and Martha listened. He talked about the time she took a bunch of gnomes for a boyfriend, the time she sang karaoke on the roof to repel a zombie invasion. Looking for the Gobblewonker out on Gravity Falls Lake. Their adventure down in the bunker. So many stories. So many memories.

                Martha listened. Sometimes she laughed, and sometimes she leaned forwards, and sometimes she butted in with a comment or a question. After a while, she started to yawn, and rest her head against the chair. Alcor wrapped it up.

                “And this will be the last form you ever take!’ Then the shapeshifter turned into her brother and froze in place with a scream!”

                “Whoa.” Martha rubbed her eyes. “What did they do?”

                “They got out of there, and they went for lunch. That was enough adventuring for the day.” Alcor chuckled, and then let it die off. “Hey, Martha.”

                “What?”

                “Do you know why I’m telling you this?”

                She shrugs. “Iunno. Because I told you to?”

                “Yes, but it’s more than that.” He leans forward. “That little boy, you know who he is?”

                Martha shrugs again.

                “He’s me.”

                “He’s-“ She sat up. “Wait, he’s you?”

                “Yes. A long time ago, he was me.” He sighed. “A long, long time ago. But that’s another story. My sister, do you know who she is?”

                “Who is she?”

                Alcor leans forward. “She was you, Martha. Thousands of lifetimes ago, she was you.”

                Martha doesn’t say anything. She just stares.

                “And she was good, and she was kind, and she never wanted to hurt anyone. She wasn’t a bad person.” His smile wavered. “And when she… when she passed, and her soul, Mizar, reincarnated into someone else, they weren’t a bad person either. On and on, cycle after cycle of kind, happy people. People who weren’t perfect, maybe, but people who had friends and family that loved them, people who did great things, people who lived long, happy, full lives.”

                He reached over, took her hand, and held it.

                “And now, there’s you.” Alcor stares into her wide eyes. “I know you, Martha. I’ve known you for a long, long time. Believe me when I say that you’re not a bad person. Do you believe me?”

                She looked down at her hand, resting in his. She jerked it back, and looked away.

                “It's okay if you don't. I just wanted you to know.”

                “What about…“ Martha looked out the window, out into the starry night. “What about all the other people? Do they have stories too?”

                “So many stories, Martha. I could sit here for years.”

                “Can you tell me them?”

                “I can.” He watched her yawn. “Maybe not tonight, though. I’m a little tired. How about tomorrow night?”

                “Tomorrow night. Okay.”

                Alcor smiled, and stood up. “I can’t wait. Alright, Martha, I’m going to bed. Call me if you need anything - I'll be there.”

                She said nothing. He walked to the hallway, and then paused and looked back. Martha was sitting still on her chair, still staring out into space. Faint moonlight shone in her eyes. She looked… almost peaceful. The frown was gone, at least.

                Then Martha spotted him watching her, and it quickly returned. “I thought you were going to sleep.”

                “I am, I am.” He turned away. “Okay. Goodnight, Martha.”


	3. Chapter 3

                “Alright. So you got suspended.”

                There was a slam as Martha closed the car door. She sat there in sullen silence, arms crossed, looking down at her feet. Alcor raised an eyebrow.

                “Mind telling me what happened?” He tried for a chuckle. “The principal was certainly vocal about his side of the story, but I didn’t hear yours.”

                Martha mumbled something.

                “What?”

                “It wasn’t my fault, okay!” She sank down lower in her seat. “All week he was telling me to ‘sit up, pay attention! Stop doodling!’ and then, he tried to take my sketchbook!”

                “So you, uh, grabbed him by the beard and slammed him into your desk.”

                “No, I didn’t.”

                “Yes you did.”

                “No, I didn’t.”

                “Yes, you did. Why are you arguing this? I saw the recording.” Alcor grimaced. “Martha, you know that’s, uh, assault, right? I understand self defense, but that was… not that situation. You can’t do that.”

                She shot him a furious look. “I thought you said you were in my corner.”

                “I am, and also, you can’t do that.” He met her gaze.  “I’m trying to help you. When you get older and you do something like that, you get arrested. And then what happens?”

                “You break me out?”

                “No.”

                “But you could if you wanted to.”

                “Yes, but-“

                “So you’d just leave me in prison? Woooow.”

                “No, I-“ Alcor took a breath. “Look, let’s make this clear. I’m not a get out of jail free card. I want to help you, but I’m not here so you can avoid the consequences of your actions. You can’t assault people. Period. Do you understand?”

                Martha pointedly looked away.

                “Martha?”

                “Whatever.” She said. “No matter what I say, you’re just going to find another stupid school to put me in.”

                “Martha.”

                She didn’t say anything else. Alcor sighed, started up the car and made for home. Radio static and the odd cough or sniff filled the silence in between them. He gripped the steering wheel.

                Somehow, he remembered this Mizar thing being a lot easier.

                They pulled up to the house. Alcor unlocked the door, and Martha went straight for her room.

                “Okay. Let me know when we’re leaving.”

                “Leaving?” Alcor frowned. “What are you talking about?”

                “The planet. You know, I get in trouble, we have this talk, and tomorrow I’m in another school.” She shifted her backpack. “I know how this works.”

                “No, no. You got suspended.”

                “Yeah, and?”

                “That’s not the same as being expelled. It means you can go back to the same school after two weeks.”

                Martha’s eyebrows drooped. “Oh, joy. I’m sure they’ll be happy to have me back.”

                “Well, I can find another school-“

                “And that’s worked out great so far, hasn’t it?”

                Alcor frowned. “Martha, I’m trying to help you, but there’s only so much I can do without your cooperation.”

                “You keep saying that, don’t you! You’re just ‘trying to help’, but you’re not! You’re not being helpful at all!” Martha threw down her bag. Something broke inside of it. “You’re ‘on my side’, you’re ‘in my corner’, but you keep pawning me off to school because you don’t want to be around me! Why don’t you just leave me alone!”

                “No, Martha, it’s not because I don’t want to be around you, it’s because you can’t just not go to school-”

                “Why!”

                “Well, there’s a lot of things you have to learn-“

                “Why!”

                Alcor struggled for words. “Well, it’s important. To learn. And you can’t just stay in your room-“

                “Why!”

                “It’s not healthy.”

                “Why!”

                “It’s not good for your mind- you can’t-“

                “Why!”

                “Well-“

                “Why!”

                “You need to-“ Alcor looked over at Martha. She was smiling now, and as soon as he noticed, she burst out laughing. He crossed his arms. “You’re just messing with me now, aren’t you.”

                “Why, Alcor?” She cackled in his face. “Mr All Knowing getting all worked up over a few questions? Why, why, why? Why why why why?”

                Alcor’s brows furrowed together. “You’re going to school, Martha.”

                She stopped laughing.

                “Don’t give me that look. If you gave it a chance, maybe you’d really enjoy it.” He started to smile. “You know, a lot of Mizars I took in really liked school. Maybe not the learning aspect so much, but they made a lot of friends, and-“

                “I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want to make friends. I don’t want to listen to a bunch of stupid teachers boss me around all day.” She leaned forward. “You know what I want to do? I want to go home. I want to see my parents. I want to sleep in _my_ bunk, and I want to do what _I_ want without _anyone_ getting in my way.”

                “Martha…”

                “But you’re not going to help me with that, are you? You’re sooo powerful, but when it comes to anything I want to do, you can’t do anything. Or you won’t do anything. You don’t-” Martha’s voice broke. “You don’t care. So I don’t care. I just want you to leave me alone.”

                Martha turned on her heel and walked away.

                “Martha? Martha, wait!” A door slammed, and Alcor flinched. He drew back, and gripped the back of his seat; a wisp of smoke escaped from between his fingers as his knuckles turned white.

                This wasn’t working. He needed to think. He needed another approach.

 

* * *

 

                Alcor made dinner. The smell drew Martha out; she hung back behind the wall, watching him with beady eyes. He smiled at her, but she made no such attempt.

                “Evening.” He got out plates. “So, uh, I was wondering if you still wanted me to tell you a story tonight, or-“

                Martha filled her plate and stalked back to her room.

                “Or not. That’s fine.” He hesitated. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

                The door slammed again. Alcor sighed, turned off the oven, and walked over to her room. He knocked.

                “Martha. I wanted to ask you something.” No response. He took a deep breath. “Do you want to do something else other than school?”

                There was a sound behind the door. A second later, it swung open. Marcia stuck her head out and glared at him.

                “What’s the ‘something else’?”

                “Well, you’ll still be learning. I guess it’s still technically school-“ He cut himself off before she slammed the door. “But it’s not going to be in a classroom. There’s not going to be any other teachers besides me, and there’s not going to be any other students than you.”

                Martha just stared at him. He sighed.

                “Look, things got out of hand yesterday. And I think you’re right; I haven’t been doing enough. I’ve been doing what worked for other Mizars, but you’re-“

                “A pain?”

                “No. No, not a pain.”

                “I am though, aren’t I?” She gave a thin smile. “A big old pain in your ass. You wish you didn’t have to deal with me.”

                “Absolutely not. Martha, I’ve never thought that for a second. All I want to do is help you.” He saw her eyeroll, and added, “And I know I’ve been saying that a lot. And I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true.”

                “Is it, though?”

                “It is.”

                “Is it, though?”

                Alcor held up his hands. “I don’t want to get into another argument. I just think that, maybe, you’ve not really had any sort of experience like school back on WEFIDS, and it wasn’t smart of me to just dump you in at the deep end and expect you to, well, swim, so to speak.”

                Martha shrugged.

                “So I wanted to try something else. Something a bit less overwhelming. And hey, you’ve got two weeks off school anyway, so why not try it?”

                “Why can’t I just stay in my room instead?”

                “Because you do have to go outside and learn things. And it doesn’t have to be from a school, but it has to be from somewhere. You need an education.” He tried for a smile. “So, what do you say? Do you want to try this out tomorrow?”

                She stared at him for a long moment. Then she sighed, and looked down at the floor.

                “Fine.” Martha shuffled her feet. “I guess it can’t be worse than school.”

                “Hey, I was a college professor for a short stint. It’ll be fun!”

                Martha rolled her eyes, and then she shut the door – not quite a slam this time. Alcor stepped back, and cleared his throat.

                “Okay! Good talk. Goodnight, Martha. See you in the morning!”

 

* * *

 

                The planet spun in space, and the sun rose in the sky. It was just a tinge more yellow than Alcor was used to; he stared at it as it tracked its way up from the horizon.

                That star was getting on in years. Sooner or later, it was going to run out of hydrogen. Start blowing up big. Incinerating everyone left on the planet. Just like Earth – he saw it in his mind’s eye now.

                Oceans boiling. Land melting, houses crumbling as the ground beneath them turned to magma. The planet alight with the screams from those who couldn’t get away… and the deafening silence from those who wouldn’t. A 113-year old Mizar, sitting on the porch of the Mystery Shack. Smiling as he pleaded, smiling such a tired smile, saying nothing. Reaching out a hand, cupping his cheek with gnarled fingers, drawing him into one, final, embrace…

                He held her tight. And when he let go, she was ash scattered on the wind, and he was alone, watching as the only place he had ever truly belonged to burned down and sank into a glowing sea.

                No more Mystery Shack. No more Pines. No more Earth. Where did he belong now?

                Alcor sighed. Where, indeed.

                After a moment, he shook himself out of his thoughts. He couldn’t stand here all day. Martha was waiting.

                He reached into the air, and a textbook materialised in his hands. Then he put on a wide smile, and walked down the hall to her door.

                He knocked. “Martha? Are you up?”

                To his surprise, she opened the door. Martha stood there, wrapped in that dirty pink shawl she wouldn’t let him wash. She stared him down, almost daring him to mention it.

                Alcor didn’t fight it. “Hey, you’re dressed already! Awesome.”

                Her eyes slid down to the book in his hands. “So, this is just gonna be math, but outside. Wow. I’m so excited.”

                “Actually, this is a science textbook.” He waved his hand. “But it doesn’t matter. Come on!”

                He hurried over to the front door. Martha followed him at a snail’s pace, her arms crossed, her feet dragging. Once she had caught up, he turned around and kneeled down.

                “Now, Martha, I really do need you to listen to me while we’re outside. I promise I’ll keep you safe, but it could be dangerous out there, and I need to know you’ll do what I tell you to.”

                “Dangerous.” Martha snorted. “Yeah, right. Where are we going, the park?”

                “Will you listen to me, Martha?”

                “Are you just gonna boss me around the whole time? This is stupid. I don’t have to-”

                Alcor rose, and snapped his fingers. Now they were in a different place. The top of a mountain- no, a volcano. The ground dropped sharply to the side of them, dropping down, down, to a crater of glowing orange. Martha stared down at it, and she could feel a heat on her face.

                “Don’t stand too close.” Alcor warned, and she took a good step back. “It’s hot down there. Look at this!”

                He hefted the textbook and threw it into the crater. It caught fire before it even hit the lava and burned away to a black speck.

                “Whoa.” She tried to keep a straight face, but that brought out a giggle. “I wanna burn something.”

                “Maybe later. Now,” Alcor folded his hands behind his back. “I understand you were studying the rock cycle in your science class.”

                “We were?”

                “Yes, you were. What type of rock is formed during volcanic activity, Martha?”

                She stared blankly.

                “Igneous. It’s one of three main rock types, the other two being sedimentary and metamorphic.”

                “Ign-e-ous. Okay.”

                “Good.” He turned away. “Come with me.”

                He walked along the edge of the crater, and Martha struggled to keep up. The ground was a dark brownish grey, dirt mixed with ash to make a very sandy surface. It was hot here; they hadn’t gone far before she found herself panting and sweating.

                Alcor offered her a water bottle, and she gladly took it. She looked around as she drank, at the blue sky, cloudless but for a smoke plume rising from the volcano, at the mountains far in the distance, and the pine trees in the valley between. It was really pretty here, like a painting.

                She wondered if she could draw this.

                They came down a little from the top of the volcano. Here, the ground was blacker, and Martha noticed a lava stream oozing out of a cut in the ground and bleeding down the slope. At the cut, the lava was a bright orange, but it formed a blackened crust as it flowed.

                Alcor bent down. “It probably doesn’t need to be said, but please don’t try this yourself.”

                With his bare hand, he scooped up a fistful of lava. It dripped from the edges of his palm in long stands.

                “Now, there are two types of igneous rock, depending on how it cools. If it cools out in the air,” He blows on the lava, and it blackens. “It’s an extrusive igneous rock. It cools quickly, and it doesn’t have time to form big crystals. Here, touch it.”

                He held out the rock, and Martha took it. Still quite warm. She ran a finger across it. And smooth.

                “That’s called basalt.” Alcor said. “On the other hand, something like granite is an intrusive rock; it cools below the ground, and that makes it cool much more slowly. What do you think that does to the crystals?”

                Martha frowns. “It… makes them bigger?”

                “Correct! They’re not out in the air, so they have the time to form very big crystals.” He beamed at her. “Since you answered that so well, I’m gonna give you a reward.”

                “What?”

                “Do you want to stick something in the lava?”

                Martha blinked, and then she started to grin. “Oh, yes! Let’s burn things!”

                He snickered. Yep, he had a feeling she’d like that.

* * *

 

                They spent some time burning scraps of homework and cooking bacon on molten lava. It was great. The bacon was not edible.

                After Martha had her fun, Alcor took her hand and tessered her into a cave deep in Kepler’s crust. Lit only by the blue fire in his hand, he explained how metamorphic rocks formed. His voice echoed in the cavern; Martha couldn’t help but try it out herself.

                “Echoooo!”

_Echo... Echo…. echo…_

                She laughed, and that bounced off the walls and all around.

                Finally, Alcor took her to a lazy river at the bottom of a red-rocked canyon. While Martha stuck her hands in the stream, he picked up sediment and packed it down into layered stone. As they sat there, a massive spaceship passed over them, blocking out the sun, and for a minute it was as dark and cool as night.

                Alcor chuckled. “Man, that is awesome. It’s like an eclipse.”

                “What?” Martha glanced up at the spaceship. “Oh, I saw that all the time back home.”

                “You did, huh?” He leaned back. “Crazy. I never saw anything like that back on Earth. I’ll never get used to it.”

                “Never? How old are you? Alcor?”

                “What?”

                “How old are you?”

                He shook his head. “Too old, kid. Too old.”

                “That’s... not an answer.” She frowned at him. He was looking out into space, his back to her. “Hellooo? Alcor?”

                Alcor didn’t respond. Slowly, the sun came out from the other side of the ship, and it began to feel warm again. He cleared his throat.

                “Huh. I got distracted.” He turned back to her, a tired smile on his face. “What did you say again?”

                Martha looked down. She drew circles in the water, and after a moment she said, “Do you miss Earth?”

                “Miss Earth? Of course.” He sighed. “It was my home.”

                “And you can’t go back.”

                He shook his head, and all of a sudden, he looked very small. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

                “I miss my home, too.” Said Martha. He looked up at her, and she added, “It sucks.”

                Alcor chuckled a little. “It does, doesn't it.”

                He walked over, and sat down next to her, his feet in the cool stream. She leaned on him, and he started to smile again.

                “It really, really does.”


End file.
